s="0123456789" s[-1..-2] #=> "" s[-2..-1] #=> "89" s[-1..-3] #=> nil s[-3..-1] #=> "789" s[-1..-2] = "..." ; s #=> "012345678...9" Expect s[-1..-2] returns nil as s[-1..-3]. (bug ? it returns empty string instead of nil.) _________________________________________________________________ DonÃÕ just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/